I started playing soccer when I was 7 and played on various teams up until last summer - when I tore my Achilles playing soccer. During the 11 month rehabilitation process, I thought I might never play again. I knew I could, but it scared me to get back out there. Yesterday, after 14 months, I did.

It’s true!!

I’ve joked that I pay my agents 10% of my salary - not to find me jobs - but to be the ones who have to hear I didn’t get the job… over and over and over again. Like any creative industry, #screenwriting is hard and brutally competitive. So here’s a #Scriptsky #WritingCommunity 🧵 on REJECTION. 1

Cancelled my Disney+ account. When it asked why, I said, “I’ll reinstate my plan when you reinstate Jimmy Kimmel. Protect free speech.” It’s not much. But like when we cancelled our Prime membership, we’re speaking with our wallets.

I’ve joked that I pay my agents 10% of my salary - not to find me jobs - but to be the ones who have to hear I didn’t get the job… over and over and over again. Like any creative industry, #screenwriting is hard and brutally competitive. So here’s a #Scriptsky #WritingCommunity 🧵 on REJECTION. 1

We said goodbye to our 17 year old tuxedo cat today. He was a sweet, affectionate, empathetic cat that my whole family loved. It was the first time I had to make the decision to euthanize a pet. I wasn’t sure when or how to do it. I’m sure I’m not alone, so I wanted to share my experience.

Been a rough couple days for my family as we come to terms with having to say goodbye to one of our beloved pets. My daughters cried, my wife cried, so of course I cried. And then, on my 60+ minute commute, I listened to 60 Songs To Explain the 90’s: the 2000’s. And for a few minutes, I felt better.

Almost 21 years ago to the day, I got a call that changed my life. “Hi, my name’s Patty. I’m the production coordinator on Jimmy Kimmel Live. We need a day-player for a field shoot this Friday.” That one day gig turned into my 1st Hollywood job, as a production assistant on #JimmyKimmelLive. 🧵1

Hulu and Do You Apple+ and Bust HBO Max and Climax Paramount and Mount Disney and Gettin’ Busy

However bad your day or year or life is going, I want you to know that in high-school, I proudly identified as an “aggressive rollerblader,” so I’m living proof that it gets better.

I’m Federman. He’s Fetterman. The surnames sound similar, but please don’t associate me with this dude.

Yesterday, I reffed 3 AYSO games, coached my younger daughter’s team, and watched my older daughter’s game. 5 AYSO games in 1 day. My big takeaway: yelling at 8-11 year olds to do stuff or scolding them for not doing things, is far less effective than praising them when they work hard/make a play.

I’m a people-pleaser. To a fault. So when I get notes, I have an impulse to do exactly what the note-giver says. Even if it goes against my writing instincts and is likely to make my script worse. It took me years to develop a better strategy. So here’s a #Scriptsky #Screenwriting 🧵on NOTES. 🧵1

Great 🧵 by Carol. One I wish I had read prior to my 1st time running a writers’ room. I was brought in a few months into the season, we were already behind schedule, and the showrunner and I exhausted ourselves (and our staff) trying to catch up. Not setting boundaries is among my biggest regrets.

I don’t know quite enough about any of these people (thankfully) to know whether or not this is fully accurate, but of all the theories and explanations I’ve heard, this seems to make the most sense. Quite a thread.

Yesterday, when I drove home from work, I saw a spider on my steering wheel. Before I could react, it crawled into the space where the horn is and didn’t come out. So now I have to worry about spiders whenever I drive. A completely normal and on-brand thing for 2025.

Lotta takes on here.

A microcosm of what it’s like to be a parent in three acts: Act 1 - Daughter gets squid-shaped whisk stuck in her hair. Act 2 - As dad tries to remove the whisk, he asks why daughter put it in her hair. Act 3 - Daughter screams at dad, “I don’t know!!!”

Help settle a massive household argument. Who is this Garfield?

The first and only time I ever saw Ozomatli was at Camp Oswego. But they’re playing a free show on the beach in Hermosa tonight, so 26 years later, I get to see them again. I’ll probably embarrass my children by dancing. Win win.

Coached my first AYSO soccer game today. None of the girls cried and they all left the field in good moods. Plus, I didn’t have to talk to any parents about yelling at the refs. Very successful first game!

On a macro level, writing for animation is similar to live-action, but the execution is different. In animation, I use more visual jokes and lean into exaggerated character posing and expressions. Budgeting and resources are different too. The writing should justify why this story is being animated.

I got tasked with breaking a bottle episode (no new characters or locations) for Big City Greens. And after spending a couple days working on it, I wanted to break a bottle over my own head. So I figured I’d do a #Screenwriting #Scriptsky #WritingCommunity thread on FORCING IDEAS. 🧵1

The Dutch word for “Animal” is “Dier.” (Pronounced “Deer”) The Dutch word for “Pet” is “Huisdier.” (Pronounced “House-deer”) This makes me smile every time I think about it, so wanted to share it as smiles seem to be on short supply as of late.

The crosswalk outside Disney Television Animation is a death trap. The employees of DTVA put our lives at risk every time we cross it. Could you imagine dying just because you wanted a mediocre salad from a commissary called “The Big D”?

You’re about to hear a lot about Tylenol causing autism. But whenever I hear anything from politicians, I approach it with a healthy level of skepticism. And it seems like there’s very limited evidence to support this claim, and the available evidence has issues. www.factcheck.org/2023/02/limi...

10 years ago, I tried to write an hour-long drama. My manager sent me a memo on how to write drama that David Mamet wrote to his writing staff. The memo wasn’t quite enough to save my lousy script, but it did teach me some helpful QUESTIONS TO ANSWER IN EVERY SCENE. 🧵1/x #Scriptsky #Screenwriting

We took the paywall down on this one. defector.com/how-the-fuck...

Coached my first AYSO soccer practice tonight. I memorized the names of all the girls on my team and none of them cried. Also, they voted on a team name and landed on “The Blue Slashers.” I’m calling that a very successful practice.

If you like really funny dumb comedies, you should check out “Please Don’t Destroy the Treasure of Foggy Mountain.” (Peacock) It’s packed full of great jokes and is surprisingly charming in the stupidest way possible. It’s one of those movies no one saw, but is destined to be a cult classic.

It’s my bosses giving a tour of our offices! For the record, in the five years I’ve worked on the show, I have never once played pool or foosball either. youtu.be/RatBeKwe4oI

My wife and I have been watching Platonic (Apple) and it’s a solid show. Seth Rogan and Rose Byrne are great, and it makes me laugh out loud. But a recent episode drove me crazy. And not to pick on it, but my issue felt like a good #Scriptsky #Screenwriting topic: CAUSE AND EFFECT. 🧵1

Kids are sleeping over at a friend’s house, so my wife and I saw “Petty Theft” at Wilson Park. Tom Petty is somehow underrated as a songwriter. 2 hours of great song after great song… How many bands have a catalogue with that many great songs? (Don’t say The Beatles, Stones, or Led Zeppelin)

You ever have one of those 221 days where it just feels like the universe is trying to break you?

I got this message through the #WGA contact portal: “I have the rights to reboot a show that once starred Andy Kaufman. I was wanting to see if I could interest you in taking a look at the series overview for your any interest to participate to this new developing series?” 99% sure this is a scam.

Top 3: -The Infamous Stringdusters + Ed Helms played for the writers in The Office parking lot -Watched Audioslave from the roof of the El Capitan Theatre while smoking a J with Sarah Silverman -Went to 4 grocery stores to get Sting all the teas he requested in his rider so he could “ee-oh” properly

I’m now an officially licensed AYSO soccer coach. Looking forward to having fun with the kids and maybe teaching them a bit. Not looking forward to having to tell their parents to stop screaming at the refs and their children and other people’s children and other parents and me and dogs and cats and

#ShowThoughts Bela Fleck and the Flecktones at The Ford 8/26/25 The first subscription I ever had was probably the best: the Columbia House Record Club. 11 CDs for 1¢. I got stuff like, The Grateful Dead “Dead Set,” “Europe ‘72,” “Without a Net,” Miles Davis “Kind of Blue,” Zappa “Hot Rats” and 🧵1

I remember when I first got the Covid vaccine. Two ladies who were standing nearby cried tears of joy and hugged for what felt like several minutes. The relief, optimism, and joy we all felt that day is basically the opposite of how I feel every time I read any article about RFK Jr.

I don’t agree with this sentiment. The idea that if I’m a great writer I’m justified to ask strangers for favors MORE SO than someone of less talent doesn’t ring true to me. Build relationships with people first and then maybe ask favors later. It’s not a results-based proposition.

Went for a walk and there’s a guy outside my office with a sign that’s says, “Trying to break into my first writers’ room and looking for advice.” I didn’t say anything to him, but on the way back, my boss was talking to him. Got me thinking… Is this a good approach? #Scriptsky #Screenwriting 🧵1

I had no idea “pay to pitch sites” existed, but fuck that shit! I’m furious on behalf of all the aspiring writers whose eagerness to have an in is being taken advantage of. #Scriptsky please, please don’t use these fundamentally exploitive “services.”

Live and learn. I dropped my kids off at a Dave and Busters birthday party, and got the hell out of there like I was Usain Bolt.

Carole mentions Jeff Melvoin, who helped create the WGA showrunner training program. I met with him a few weeks ago. Total mensch. He wrote a fantastic book about his career and how to be a successful showrunner: “Running the Show: Television From the Inside.” Excellent read, highly recommended.

Time for another #Scriptsky #Screenwriting #Writing 🧵. This one is on COMEDY. Comedy is subjective. What’s funny to me may not be funny to you. Case in point: my reaction vs my wife’s reaction to Tim Robinson on I Think You Should Leave. But there are ways to make a joke better/worse… 🧵1

Things are bad and it’s easy to allow all the shit to overwhelm you. To make you feel like people are shit too. So I find myself treasuring the little moments of humanity that remind me it’s not all bad. I was lucky to experience one the other night at a #MyMorningJacket show. Brought me to tears. 1

Things are bad and it’s easy to allow all the shit to overwhelm you. To make you feel like people are shit too. So I find myself treasuring the little moments of humanity that remind me it’s not all bad. I was lucky to experience one the other night at a #MyMorningJacket show. Brought me to tears. 1

Me: My mantras are “Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference,” and “One day at a time.” Friend: I didn’t realize you were struggling with addiction. Me: I’m not. I just live in the United States.

I know a number of the #ScriptSky folks are into horror, so I bet you’ll enjoy this!

Whenever people say that government should be privatized because private businesses are run so much better, I just assume that they’ve never worked for a big company like HBO or HBO Now or HBO Go or HBO Max or Max or HBO Max.